Fashion Interview: Clinton Kelly

Are there age limits on styles? For example, what’s something a man should never wear after 40? This is a good question because this is something I struggle with on a regular basis considering that I’m 39 and sometimes I wonder, “Am I getting too old for this?”

You know, it’s hard to say because there’s this very casual look of the faded jean with a T-shirt that’s got some sort of slogan or some little design on it and I start to think as I approach 40, “Shouldn’t I be looking a little more polished than this?” But I think that there’s a time and a place for that, no matter what age you are.

I can’t stand a man over the age of 40 wearing anything that says “Abercrombie Slim Jean,” or that says “American Eagle” or that features any company that is really branding itself heavily toward teenagers or college students. It’s something you should not be wearing after, I would even say, 30-35, because you think that you look young and cool, but it actually makes you look older. You look like some guy’s old uncle who stole his T-shirt. It’s weird; it’s just creepy.

At a certain age, you have to realize that you’re not the kid you once were and that there are lots of 20-year-olds out there who can pull this look off a hell of a lot better than you can.

What is one big-ticket fashion item that is worth its price tag? It’s hard to say because back when I wasn’t making a lot of money I never would’ve spent a lot of money on a great pair of shoes, but now that I’m making (knock on wood) a nice salary and I can afford really well-made shoes, they make such a difference. You can get a beautiful, well-made shoe that just makes your entire outfit look so rich, and usually they’re a lot more comfortable and they wear a lot better than cheaper shoes.

The other thing is that every man should spend the money on having a suit perfectly tailored for his body. You know, there was a time when young men would go with their fathers to buy their first suit and the tailor would make sure that the suit fit them perfectly in the shoulders and in the waist and at the cuff, and I think now there are a lot of places to buy a suit where you don’t get that kind of individual attention, so men are buying suits off-the-rack more than they ever did before.

But I think every man should have one suit, even if he doesn’t spend a lot of money on it, that he should take to the tailor so that it fits his body just perfectly. There’s something about having a suit either custom-made for you or custom-tailored for you by a really good tailor — not the dry cleaner who’s going to fix a couple of hems here and there — who’s going to take it in on the sides or take it up at the neck a little bit so it doesn’t bunch. Once you have a taste of the way a great suit can fit you, there’s no turning back. So, don’t just settle for a suit just because it’s a suit.

Who do you think is the most stylish celebrity men should look to for guidance? Um, besides myself? [laughs] I’m kidding.

I don’t even know; it’s hard to answer that question because I’m in a little of a pop culture void these days, and it’s self-imposed. I don’t read a lot of magazines… But I think George Clooney always looks really great. He just nails it; he knows how to look casual and sophisticated. And when he wears a tux, he just wears it like a true classic.